Chess Pro with Coach vs Pulsar Chess Engine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Pro with Coach
Master the classic strategy game with this comprehensive chess application. Featuring multiple play modes, training tools, and a powerful engine, it caters to both beginners and experienced players aiming for Grandmaster level. Enjoy stunning HD artwork and a challenging human-like opponent.
- Six modes of play
- Annotated databases and puzzles
- Training and rated modes with ELO appraisal
- World-class chess engine
- 100 graded levels from novice to Grandmaster
- Stunning HD artwork and Retina Display support
- Hint facility and built-in coach
Read full descriptionHide full description
New Ginkgo option - World Chess Champion 2026 (ICGA). Special upgrade offer for a limited time. From Beginner (ELO 600) to AI Grandmaster (ELO 3600). Improves gameplay throughout the app. Plays like a human being at any level. Winner of "Best Strategy Game". Six modes of play. Annotated databases, Puzzles, Training Mode, Rated Mode with ELO appraisal, Blitz Mode, World Rankings and more ... Learn to play and master the classic strategy game Chess with an app that takes you from novice all the way to Grandmaster level with 100 graded levels! Mastersoft Chess has one of the World's best Desktop PC chess engines crammed inside! This engine finished 4th in the World Microcomputer Chess Championships and is not available in any other iPhone chess game. Designed by chess champions to play like a human opponent, Mastersoft Chess will take you from Novice to Grandmaster level! Features stunning high resolution sets by renowned Chess designers. Easy to play but difficult to beat, this is pick up and play chess at its best! As previously supplied by the World's biggest OEMs, and now available for a fraction of the original price thanks to the power of the App Store! The #1 Best Selling Chess App for iOS* PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS: "I bought all chess applications for iPhone and this one is probably better than many $7-9 applications. Check TEST ALL. 66 chess applications at only ONE page in the World ..." - www.chess-iphone.blogspot.com "It truly is close to flawless and is by far the best mobile Chess game I have played on any platform." - PDA 247. AWARDS HP Choice Strategy Game of the Year Smartphone Magazine runner up. Various levels, board styles and breathtaking Retina Display chess sets combine with an outstanding World beating chess engine to offer you a great playing experience and an ever increasing challenge. Whether you're just starting out or else a seasoned pro, Mastersoft Chess has something for you! BEGINNERS Hint facility. Built in coach to monitor your progress Training levels that dumb down your iPhone / iPod Touch. Take back a move if you change your mind! Your iPhone/iPod Touch checks that your moves are allowed. Simple intuitive uncluttered interface that lets you concentrate on your game. NB If you are new to Chess then please ensure that the coach is turned on in options and that the lowest difficulty level is selected. GRANDMASTERS A unique engine unlike any other - plays interesting and sometimes quite aggressive chess. Designed to play like a human opponent - right up to Grandmaster level! Huge opening Book 100% Full Chess rules including enpassant, castling etc. Thought analysis (main line, depth and score). Setup position (including castling rights, enpassant and side to move) Move forward / backward to any point in the current game. Includes Standard Chess Book Sets in addition to the realistic ones. OTHER FEATURES Huge collection of stunning high resolution chess sets in both 2D and 3D. Makes the most of Retina Display! Boards constructed from the real thing - Oak, Ash, Marble, Slate and more! Save and load games. Realistic sound effects. Adjustable piece movement animation. Autosaving of your current game. Great for novices but will grow with you and still offer a challenge at Championship level. Universal App. Play on your iPod, iPhone and iPad. No additional purchase necessary. Great value! Source: US App Store 2011. New sets, new boards, improved engine, universal app, retina artwork and more! Voted No1 best Chess app! PS Don't forget the EN PASSANT Pawns Chess rule!
Pulsar Chess Engine
Play chess and six popular variants with adjustable AI difficulty levels. Review logged games, access master game collections, and utilize Crafty engine analysis for standard chess and Chess960. Offers accessibility features for blind users.
- Plays 7 chess variants
- Adjustable AI difficulty levels
- Game logging and review
- Master game collections
- Crafty engine analysis
- VoiceOver accessibility
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Pulsar Chess Engine plays Chess and six variants all with multiple levels. The variants are Chess960, Crazyhouse, Loser's, Atomic, Three Checks and Giveaway. Rules included in-app. In addition, there is also a review mode to look at the user's log file with analysis available for non variants. 10 game collections of classic and modern master games are included to look at including Kasparov, Fischer, Carlsen, Capablanca and Morphy 1858 collections. These collections and the log file are searchable. Pulsar values mobility and active positions. In app there is an article with more on its playing style and how to train against it. With the variants, each has its own style. Chess960, Three Checks and Crazyhouse are the more chess like variants and adoptable to learn to play for anyone with interest. The rules of all games are in app. Pulsar has levels of play from beginner too advanced. Games with a time control are the hardest though Pulsar doesn't call the player's time. The time is more to handicap Pulsar's strength, but users will have a clock and can see if it's gone negative if they want to play the time control. The game button - configure game menu item, lets the user control the variant and difficulty. It defaults to Chess at Easy(lowest level) but remembers the current settings when the App restarts. There are choices of pieces and board color schemes. The Pulsar program was originally developed by me for computers starting in 1998 and came to mobile for the first time in 2014. Pulsar's board is accessible to the blind using Voice Over, a screen reader. Tap on a square and it will say whats on it and double tap to move or choose from three move methods. A screen reader can normally read anything with text like a button, but a board is a collection of images. To make it accessible, text must be returned to Voice Over when a tap is in the area of a square. Pulsar began as a chess program and later learned variants. It ran extensively on two servers for many years both at chess and variants. The ratings on the board reflect strength I saw in rated play on handicapped bots. They are not 100% exact but generalizations I made from the various bots I ran at different settings. If in the new game selector, Play vs. Computer is unchecked the user can move for both sides. This is to allow two people at same location to use the App as a board for a game and have the app enforce move legality and results for whatever variant is selected.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pulsar Chess Engine at none against Chess Pro with Coach's 1. Pulsar Chess Engine also leads on price ($1.99 vs $2.99). Chess Pro with Coach's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On ads, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Chess Pro with Coach costs $2.99 and Pulsar Chess Engine $1.99 up front. Chess Pro with Coach sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pulsar Chess Engine asks for nothing beyond the download.
Chess Pro with Coach holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Pro with Coach has 2K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Chess Pro with Coach's written reviews are positive against 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's.
Chess Pro with Coach ships an update weekly, Pulsar Chess Engine every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess Pro with Coach | Pulsar Chess Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (2K ratings) — better | 4.3 (12 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 87.7% of reviews — better | 70.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 122 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mastersoft | Michael Adams |
Customer experience
Chess Pro with Coach
Pulsar Chess Engine
In-app purchases
Chess Pro with Coach
- Upgrade to Chess Ginkgo.$9.99
Pulsar Chess Engine
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess Pro with Coach free?
Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?
Which has better reviews, Chess Pro with Coach or Pulsar Chess Engine?
Do Chess Pro with Coach or Pulsar Chess Engine have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Pro with Coach or Pulsar Chess Engine?
Other comparisons















